Venture investors have backed several startups in the sector including SmileDirectClub, Candid Care and Uniform Teeth

As SmileDirectClub Inc. prepares to go public Thursday, other venture-backed startups in the teledentistry business say the initial public offering itself is an affirmation of their fledgling industry.

The company Wednesday said its IPO priced at $23 a share, raising $1.35 billion. This gives SmileDirectClub a market capitalization of $8.9 billion before it expects to begin trading on the Nasdaq on Thursday.